Biscayne

The second National Park that we visited in Southern Florida was Biscayne National Park. Biscayne covers nearly 173,000 acres, 95% of which is covered in water. It was established as a National Monument in 1968 to protect the bay from encroaching industrialization in Southern Florida. Biscayne bay is incredibly shallow, averaging only 10 feet. Plans were made to dredge out a channel to the ocean, which would have devastated the coral reef ecosystems that support the large variety of life. 

Since the park is covered mostly in water, we had to take boat tours out to explore the park. Our first trip out was an evening trip: The Park After Dark - Evening Bay Tour. We ended up having the whole boat to ourselves because we were the only ones who booked the trip that night. It was a super relaxing slow boat ride around the bay as the sun was setting. 

The next day, we came back and took a trip out to Boca Chita Key. This key was owned by Mark C. Honeywell in the late '30s. He used the island as an exclusive party key and had a variety of structures built on they key, including a light house (on the wrong side of the key), a chapel (so that he wouldn't have to leave the key on Sundays), a garage (for fancy cars with no roads?) and a random wall.

 

The structures were almost exclusively made out of bricks from coral limestone.

As we mentioned, the lighthouse was on the wrong side of the key, leading a few ships to run into the coral reefs and sink. The coast guard eventually had to tell the owners of the island that they could not have any lights in the lighthouse. From the top of the lighthouse you can also see just how shallow the water is and how many boats have scraped along the coral reefs nearby.

Walking around the island we also caught a glimpse of some underwater life.

All in all, we really enjoyed our time in the park. If we go back, we think we would love to do the snorkeling excursion that they offer. There is a lot to see underwater, including many shipwrecks and a ton of sea life around the coral reefs. Even better would be bringing your own boat out to explore at your own pace.